Delhi likely to further extend existing excise policy

The Delhi government is expected to extend the current excise policy for at least three more months, according to media reports citing official sources. The extension comes as the committee formed to draft a new policy, led by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and appointed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, continues its deliberations.

Reports highlighted that the key challenges include improving customer experience, ensuring wider accessibility of liquor retail outlets across the city, and guaranteeing the availability of all brands and variants. Strict instructions have reportedly been issued by the Chief Minister to eliminate any scope for favouritism and design a policy resilient to corruption.

While a final decision is pending, those in the know of the matter noted that a policy extension is under active consideration, given that the existing framework expires in less than a week.